Heinrich To Travel To Luna And Doña Ana Counties

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) will travel to Luna and Doña Ana Counties beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, January 22, to participate in briefings and events in Deming, Hatch, and Las Cruces.

On Wednesday this week, Senator Heinrich will tour the Ben Archer Health Center in Hatch to discuss the center's experience with innovative programs, including a home visitation program -- made possible by the Affordable Care Act -- for chronic patients in rural communities. The center recently received a $1.27 million grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is expected to reduce the cost of care and help increase the quality of life for patients with chronic illnesses.

On Thursday, Senator Heinrich will be in Deming to tour the Veterans Transition Center and meet with board members, staff, and veterans. The center provides free food, clothing, housing assistance, and other transition services to veterans. It also provides services the general public in Luna, Grant, and Hidalgo Counties. The center houses an emergency food pantry, kitchen, access to the Internet, and a thrift store that is free for veterans. As a strong advocate for veterans, Senator Heinrich has led the fight to reduce the veterans disability claims backlog and improve infrastructure for community-based outpatient clinics across New Mexico.

Later in the day on Thursday, Senator Heinrich will also tour the Sapphire Energy Research and Development Facility. The site in Las Cruces is the largest, photosynthetic, fully integrated, algae-to-energy testing facility in the world. Senator Heinrich will be briefed on the site's crop development, production, and extraction process of green crude from algae, and provide an update on critical industry partnerships. Senator Heinrich, a member of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, is a strong advocate for the use of renewable biofuels and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, and is the only engineer in the United States Senate.

On Friday, Senator Heinrich, along with Senator Udall, will hold a news conference with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell in the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks region to discuss conservation initiatives to preserve some of Doña Ana County's most iconic landscapes, while boosting the region's tourism and outdoor economy and improving recreational opportunities. In December 2013, the Senators introduced legislation to designate the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument to conserve, protect and enhance scenic, recreational and culturally significant land.

The information below is for planning purposes only. Media must RSVP to press@heinrich.senate.gov to attend.

Hatch - Wednesday, January 22, 2014
WHAT: Ben Archer Health Center
WHEN: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. MT
WHERE: Ben Archer Health Center, 255 Highway 187, Hatch, N.M. 87937

Deming - Thursday, January 23, 2014
WHAT: Veterans Transition Center
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. MT
WHERE: Veterans Transition Center, 320 South Diamond Avenue, Deming, N.M. 88030

Las Cruces - Thursday, January 23, 2014
WHAT: Sapphire Energy Research and Development Facility
WHEN: 10:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. MT
WHERE: Sapphire Energy Research and Development Facility, 9035 Advancement Avenue, Las Cruces, N.M. 88007

Las Cruces - Friday, January 24, 2014
WHAT: Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks News Conference & Photo Opportunity
WHEN: 12 to 12:30 p.m. MT
WHERE: Sierra de las Uvas, CR-D012 near the headwaters of Valles Canyon (also near Fish/Valles Tank and the road to the top of Magdalena Peak)